They might lose on occasion, but the bench is contributing in a big way, everybody knows who is going to have the ball in their hand when they get the chance to close, and while we've heard ad nauseam that Andruw is not getting it done, we're so beyond that now.

Jones is in Texas, the Dodgers have the best record in baseball, 11 straight home wins -- and if only the Lakers could be as good as the Dodgers at home.

But here we are -- the very best witnesses to what a promising young player can mean to a team if only a little patience is shown.

But enough about Andrew Bynum and the god-awful Lakers .

Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp and James Loney are doing it now, the kids all grown up, and while the Lakers go three or four deep at best, it's the Dodgers who go so much deeper when including Rafael Furcal, Orlando Hudson and Russell Martin.

And then there's Manny Ramirez, another home run to start off play against Arizona -- show time, baby.

No question the Lakers have achieved mini-God status around here, the mini-Gods suddenly looking sadly human, but right now it's the Dodgers who are more interesting -- fresh faces doing something fresh for a change.

Maybe you could say the same for the Lakers , doing something new for a change and losing the first game of a playoff series. But the expectation remains the same, the Lakers trudging through the playoffs, and anything short of a date with Cleveland and a NBA title a huge letdown.

So far they've had to beat Utah, like that was some kind of mountain to climb. Now they get Houston, a loss the best thing that could happen to the Lakers , thereby making a series win more meaningful.

As for personalities, they probably have them, but unlike the Dodgers who don't mind chatting about this and that, the Lakers go into hiding. The way they played against Houston, they never came out.

Lamar Odom and Sasha Vujacic are the locker room exceptions, both always available, and Odom as regular and as interesting an athlete as there is town.

"Ten in a row," Odom says before the game. "The spirit of Manny and they almost let him go."

Maybe the Basketball around here would be more fun if LeBron James were playing in a L.A. uniform. The enjoyment he shows is so much more inviting than the swear words coming out of Kobe Bryant's mouth after he throws down a big basket.

Macho, anger and in-your-face works for a lot of sports fans these days, because as you know, it's a war out there.

But not the way LeBron approaches it. He oozes joy, while Kobe is a walking scowl. Too bad. You would think there would be more fun in the journey while attempting to go the distance every year, but Kobe has built a wall around him -- the "inner circle of trust" as he likes to call it.

In short, he's no fun. Too bad he couldn't get together with Manny for a carefree day, everyone hounding Ramirez too but still finding a way to laugh his way through it all. The downside of that, as you know, is his defense might suffer.

In less than a year, Ramirez has made himself as valuable to the Dodgers as Kobe is to the Lakers . The naysayers might point to Ramirez's baggage, as if Kobe doesn't have his own, but the record indicates the Dodgers have gone an astounding 29-6 at home since he arrived.

Ramirez's attitude has made it fun to watch baseball again in Dodger Stadium, Joe Torre adding his agreeable approach to the proceedings making it even more enjoyable and a nice change of pace after dealing with Phil Jackson.

There's always a chance, and a good chance, the Dodgers will change as they find success. But watching them search for it looks as if it could be a lot of fun.

As for the Lakers , there's always a chance, but not much of one the Lakers will lose another game to Houston.

But if they do, it's sure going to be fun to see how they react -- almost as much fun as watching how Lakers fans deal with it all.

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BEFORE THE game with Houston, Jackson told the media, "I certainly think LeBron deserved" the MVP award.

So I asked, having said that, "Does that mean you felt LeBron deserved the award more than Kobe?"

Jackson replied, "So you're looking for more definition, are you? I won't give it."

It's a wonder I was able to sleep last night.

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TAKE AWAY a few major events and the sport of horse racing is essentially dead, which explains why they have Barbaro, a dead horse, buried at the entrance of Churchill Downs. How fitting.

The sport received another death blow Saturday with a dog winning the biggest race of the year. The 50-1 longshot, Mine That Bird, made for a nice one-day story, but ruins any lingering interest in the Preakness, Belmont and overall Triple Crown.

That reminds me, if anyone could have gotten Barbaro running again, it would have been trainer Jeff Mullins, who began a seven-day suspension Sunday for cheating.

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TODAY'S LAST word comes in e-mail from Master Sgt. Rob Lenahan, Kandahar AB, Afghanistan: "Tommy Lasorda was great, took time for everyone who wanted a picture or autograph. I think he even gave a few people his card to call him for tickets (I missed that one!). On these trips, the celebs get run around really fast. They are always doing grips and grins with the troops, and it has to be tiring. I think they pressed onto Iraq from here."

You need tickets? Call the McCourts when you get back; they'll sell them to you.

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t.j.simers@latimes.com